Safety uncoupling rigging for locomotive draft gear



May 22, 1956 F. B. LEwls SAFETY UNCOUPLING RIGGING FOR LOCOMOTIVE DRAFT GEAR Filed July 18, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,ji .Z

INVENToR.. Francis Lea/5' BY ///fw F. B. LEWIS May 22, 1956 SAFETY vUNCOUPLING RIGGING FOR LOCOMOTIVE DRAFT GEAR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 18, 1952 F. B. LEWIS May 2z, 195e SAFETY UNCOUPLING RIGGING FOR LOCOMOTIYE DRAFT GEAR Filed July 18, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent C) SAFETY UNCOUPLING RIGGING FOR LOCOMOTIVE DRAFT GEAR Francis B. Lewis, Kansas City, Kans., assignor to Paxton- Mitchell Company, Omaha, Nebr., a corporation of Nebraska Application July 1s, 1952, senat No. 299,625

4 claims. (C1. 213-466) This invention relates in general to railroad draft gear, and more particularly to improvements for uncoupling the same from the platform or platform steps of a locomotive.

Heretofore, steam engines have been provided with front and back running boards t-o facilitate the uncoupling of attached cars therefrom, and more recently and presently, it is the practice to provide `diesel and electric locomotives with such running boards and uncoupling mechanism that can be operated therefrom by the switchman. But this places the switchman out of sight of the enginemen whenperforming such an uncoupling operation, and has resulted in a number of switchmen being killed while so operating the coupling mechanism.

A principal object of the instant invention, therefore, is tov prevent such fatal accidents and give new protection to switchmen engaged in uncoupling cars attached to locomotives.

Another important object of the invention is to save time and reduce the amount of effort required to perform such uncoupling operations.

M-ore specifically, these objects are attained by providing novel uncoupling rigging which readily may be added at each end of the present locomotives to enable a switchman to effect an uncoupling operation either from the locomotive platform or the platform steps at either side and adjacent the usual guard railing, so as to eliminate the possibility of his being thrown between the 1ocomotive and attached car, as would occur if he were riding an end running board, and to permit him t-o accomplish an uncoupling operation while in plain view of the enginemen, which additionally greatly facilitates his giving of the necessary signals and materially reduces the amount of time and effort required to be expanded by him.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such uncoupling rigging which requires substantially no modilication of the existing uncoupling mechanism or locomotive structure and does not affect operation of that old mechanism.

Another object is to enable removal of the end running boards or footboards, if desired, to prevent the switchmen unthinkingly reverting to the presently much more hazardous method of performing an uncoupling operation.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing end portions of a locomotive and an attached car in broken lines, a means for coupling the same together, the usual mechanism for uncoupling, and a preferred embodiment of the instant uncoupling rigging, with the left-hand shaft of the latter in a partially operated position;

Fig. 2 is a vertical elevational view, as seen from the right side of Fig. 1 looking toward the end of the locomotive, with parts broken away;

2,746,614 Patented May 22, 1956 lCe Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal section, taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, showing the parts of the uncoupling mechanism in their normal positions;

Fig. 5 is a View like Fig. 4, with the left-hand uncoupling shaft of the instant rigging shown in fully operated position; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail vertical section taken substantially on the line 6--6 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1 of the drawings, reference numeral 11 indicates in general a locomotive of well-known construction, the illustration comprising an end portion of a diesel locomotive including an end platform 12 to which access is had by a plurality of platform steps 13 at each side. This end platform 12 and its side steps 13 are guarded by a railing, indicated generally by reference numeral 14, which comprises two end brackets 15 and a central bracket 16 secured to the end of the locomotive and supporting vertical rail members 17 and lower horizontal rail members 18, in well-known manner. Each `of the vertical rail members 17 is provided with a cap bracket for receiving upper horizontal rail members 19 and the upper ends of side grab rails 21, the lower ends of which are secured to the outer surface of an end plate 22, which comprises that portion of the locomotive to which the railing brackets 1S and 16 are secured. As is standard with all types of railroad equipment, the locomotive 11 illustrated is provided With the usual coupler 23, which includes a vertically movable coupling pin 24, and a car 25 also shown in Fig. 1 likewise is provided with a substantially identical coupler 26, the couplers 23 and 26 being illustrated as engaged to attach the car 25 to the locomotive. The locomotive 11 is also illustrated as being equipped with the usual end running boards or footboards 27 on which the switchman presently rides to accomplish disconnection of the couplers 23, 26 during movement of the locomotive.

Such locomotives also presently are equipped with means to facilitate such uncoupling from either one of the footboards 27, which comprise left and right-hand shaft members 2S which are complementally shaped relative to each other. Adjacent their inner ends, the horizontal portions of these shafts are supported for rotation by suitable bearing members 29 mounted on the end plate 22 ofthe locomotive, and the outer portions of these shafts similarly are supported for rotation by bearing brackets 31 secured to the lower portions of the end railing brackets 15. The outer end of each shaft member 23 comprises a downwardly extending handle portion 32 terminating in a rearwardly bent stop portion 33 normally abutting against the end plate 22 in the manner best illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. The inner end of each of these shaft members 2S (Figs. 2-6) terminates in a reversely bent crank portion 34, the free end of which underlies one of the legs of an uncoupling yoke 35. These legs of this yoke 3S are bent under at their rear ends to provide bearing portions 36 (Fig. 6) rotatably engaging the horizontal portions of the shaft members 28 adjacent the bearing members 29. The uncoupling yoke 35 thus is pivotally mounted on the two shaft members 28 and normally maintained with its forward portion in a horizontal position, as illustrated in Fig. 4 and in full lines in Fig. 6, by engagement yof its legs with the crank portions 34 of the shaft members 28. This normally horizontally disposed central portion of the yoke 35 passes through a slot in a link 37 pivotally connected at its lower end to the upper end of the coupling pin 24.

The coupling and uncoupling mechanism above described presently constitutes standard equipment, but requites the operator or switchman to ride on one of the running boards 27 to accomplish uncoupling while the locomotive is in motion. Depending upon which of the footboards 27 the switchman is riding, he may effect an uncoupling of the couplers 23, 26, comprising lifting of the coupling pin 24 from its position of Fig. 4 to that of Fig. 5, by lifting or swinging forwardly the handle portion 32 of the adjacently located shaft member 28. As will be best appreciated from the illustration given in Fig. 6, such lifting of the handle portion 32 will rotate shaft 28 to swing its crank portion 34 upwardly from its full line to its broken line position of this figure. The uncoupling yoke 35 thus will be raised from its normal position of Fig. 4 (its full line position of Fig. 6) to its raised position, as shown in Fig. 5 and in broken lines in Fig. 6, to lift the coupling pin 24, which permits automatic uncoupling or detachment of the car from the locomotive 11 in response to subsequent change in the relative speeds of these two vehicles. For example, with the locomotive pushing the car 25, i. e., traveling toward the right of Fig. 1, deceleration or braking of the locomotive following such lifting of the coupling pin 24 will result in detachment of coupler 23 from coupler 26 in a manner well-known in the art. However, such an uncoupling operation has certain disadvantages, as previously explained herein, including diiiculty on the part of the switchman in signaling the enginemen from such position of the switchman on the running board, and particularly the ever-present possibility of the switchman falling or being thrown from the running board as a result of the breaking or change of motion of the locomotive. The seriousness of these disadvantages cannot be overemphasized in view of the fact that a number of switchmen have been killed on various railroads due to operating the presently standard uncoupling mechanism in such manner.

The instant uncoupling rigging, as previously explained generally, has been provided to overcome these difiiculties resulting from operation of the existing uncoupling mechanism, and specifically for the purposes of affording a new and proper protection for the switchman and effecting a considerable saving in time and effort required to be expended by him. The modification of the instant uncoupling rigging herein illustrated comprises an uncoupling or crank lever, designated generally by reference numeral 38 (Figs. 2 and 3), and link means 39 interconnecting that crank lever 3S and operating shaft means 41 mounted for actuation either from the platform 12 or the side platform steps 13. It will be readily understood that such uncoupling rigging is provided at each end of the locomotive 11.

The uncoupling lever 38 is mounted for rotation by means of a pair of bearing members 42 secured to the end plate 22 (Figs. 2 and 3). The outer ends of this uncoupling lever 38 comprise forwardly offset crank portions 43 normally underlying the legs of the uncoupling yoke 3S in similar manner to, and forwardly of, the crank portions 34 of the shaft members 28. The uncoupling lever 38 also is provided with a central crank portion 44 normally disposed horizontally, as best seen in Figs. 2 and 4. The link means 39 comprises a pair of links having slots 45 at their lower ends through which the central crank portion 44 of uncoupling lever 38 extends. The upper end of each of these links is pivotally mounted on a depending crank portion 46 formed at the inner ends of left and right-hand uncoupling shafts 47 and 48 comprising the operating shaft means 41. Such pivotal connections preferably are maintained by means of a U-clip 49 (Figs. l, 2 and 4) having its leg portions disposed on opposite sides of the upper end of the link and provided with apertures through which the crank portion 46 extends, the clip 49 being welded to the crank portion 46 at the end of the shaft following mounting of the associated link thereon. A ring 51 may be welded to the crank lever 38 adjacent each of the bearing members 42 to limit lateral movements of lever 38. Each of the operating shafts 47 and 48 is mounted on the railing 14 for rotation relative thereto by means of inner and outer bearing members 52 and 53, the latter being secured to the associated outer vertical rail members 17 (Figs. l and 2), while the inner bearing members 52 are secured to the lower portion of a supporting plate 54 (Fig. 4), the upper end of which is secured to the central vertical rail member 17 by a strap or clamp member 55. In order to limit lateral movements of the shafts 47, 48, they preferably are provided with rings 51 welded thereto adjacent the associated bearing members 52 and 53 (Fig. 2). Each of these uncoupling shafts 47 and 48 is provided with a depending operating handle or crank portion 56 at its outer end disposed between the associated end vertical rail 17 and side grab rail 21. Also to insure proper lateral positioning of the link means 39, and comprising a part thereof, is a guide plate 57 (Figs. 2-4) having a lower vertical portion secured to the end plate 22, preferably by welding, and an upper portion extending forwardly and angularly relative thereto which is provided with a pair of vertical guide slots 58 within which the lower portions of the two slotted uncoupling links are slidably disposed, respectively.

While it will thus be seen that some modification of the existing uncoupling mechanism is required in order to so mount the instant uncoupling rigging, such modification has been maintained at a minimum. Specifically, that modification comprises only a cutting of the lateral sides of the base of the present central railing bracket 16, as indicated at 59 in Figs. 2 and 5, to provide the necessary clearance for the uncoupling links 39, and the possible replacement of the bolt normally employed to secure the lower end of the central vertical rail member 17 in that railing bracket with a countersunk rivet 61 (Fig. 5) to insure such clearance. Also, since the crank arms of the central portion 44 of the uncoupling lever 38 preferably should be exactly horizontal when the end crank portions 43 of that uncoupling lever are in contact with the undersides of the legs of the existing uncoupling yoke 35 in their normal positions of Figs. 2, 4 and 6, it may be found necessary to rework the uncoupling yoke 35 if the same has been twisted or otherwise misshapen in previous use.

As previously noted, the instant uncoupling rigging above described is duplicated at each end of the locomotive 11. Any time that the switchman desires to lift the pin 24 during movement of the locomotive to effect an uncoupling operation in conjunction with a change in the rate of movement of the locomotive by an engineman under the signal direction of the switchman, he may do so from any position on the platform 12 or platform steps 13 adjacent the guard railing 14 in full view of the engineman merely by lifting one of the operating handles 56. A switchman is illustrated in broken lines in Fig. 1 in the process of so operating the instant uncoupling rigging. Lifting of an operating handle 56 rotates its uncoupling shaft 47 or 48 to move the associated link 39 upwardly and raise the uncoupling lever 38 and yoke 35 from their positions of Fig. 4 to those shown in Fig. 5. It will be appreciated that such operation of an uncoupling shaft 47 or 48 thus lifts the coupling pin 24 without effecting operation of the other shaft 47 or 48 or either of the shaft members 28. This is due to the slots provided in the links 39 and the previously described disposition of the outer crank portions 43 of the uncoupling lever 38 below the legs of the uncoupling yoke 35 in similar manner to the arrangement of the crank portions 34 of the shaft members 28. Likewise, rotation of a shaft member 28 to lift the uncoupling yoke 35 will not operate the uncoupling lever 38 or any of the other parts of the instant uncoupling rigging.

The advantages of the latter, from the standpoint of saving time and reducing the amount of elort required to be expended by the switchman, compared to performing an uncoupling operation by use of one of the old shaft members 28 are thought to be clearly apparent.

To specifically illustrate the primary advantage of the instant uncoupling rigging over the old uncoupling mechanism, the most common uncoupling operation will be referred to with particular reference to Fig. 1. The most frequently encountered uncoupling operation comprises detachment of the car' 25 from the locomotive 11 while the latter is pushing the car, i. e., during movement of the vehicles toward the right, as seen in Fig. 1. This entails substantially rapid deceleration or braking of the locomotive after lifting of the coupling pin 24. Referring to the direction to the right in Fig. l as being forwardly or outwardly of the locomotive, the lifting of the coupling pin 24 by means of one of the old shaft members 28 from a position on one of the running boards 27 requires the exertion and maintenance of a forwardly or outwardly directed force on its handle portion 32. Consequently, while so maintaining the coupling pin 24 in a raised position, the switchman is exerting a force in the same direction as that of his own momentum, so that deceleration or braking of the locomotive will require maximum vigilence and elfort on the part of the switchman to prevent his being thrown forwardly from the footboard 27. Obviously, if the switchman is so thrown from the footboard, he will fall directly in the path of movement of the locomotive. On the other hand, lifting of the pin 24 by means of the instant uncoupling rigging requires the exertion and maintenance of an inwardly or rearwardly directed force on one of the operating handles 56 by the switchman. Consequently, the exertion of such force is in the direction of deceleration when the locomotive is braked, so that the switchman in effect is thereby bracing himself automatically against being thrown forwardly relative to the locomotive. Since the guard railing 14 is disposed outwardly or forwardly of the switchman in any position which he may assume during operation of the instant uncoupling rigging, it will effectively prevent his being thrown forwardly from the platform 12 or the platform steps 13, even as a result of extremely rapid deceleration of the locomotive, so that he cannot fall into the path of movement of the latter. In addition to providing such positive protection, the present invention also enables removal of the running boards or footboards 27, if desired, to prevent a switchman unthinkingly reverting to use of the uncoupling shaft members 28 while the locomotive is moving.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. For use on a locomotive having an end platform with steps at each side leading thereto, an end railing guarding said steps and platform, and coupling mechanism disposed forwardly of said railing and including a pin movable vertically to effect uncoupling thereof; safety uncoupling rigging operable from said steps or said platform adjacent said steps and rearwardly of said railing, comprising a crank lever pivotally mounted at the end of the locomotive and operable to lift said pin, link means having a slotted connection at the lower end thereof with said crank lever, operating shaft means pivotally connected to the upper end of said link means, and bearing'means for said shaft means mounted on said railing to enable operation of said shaft means to lift said coupling pin from any point on said steps or said platform adjacent said steps and rearwardly of said railing at which said shaft means is accessible, whereby said railing prevents anyone so operating said uncoupling rigging from being thrown forwardly accidentally from said platform or steps.

2. For use on a locomotive having an end platform with steps at each side leading thereto, coupling mechanism disposedbelow the level of said platform and eX- tending outwardly from and centrally of the locomotive, and a guard railing for said steps and platform mounted between the latter and said coupling mechanism; safety uncoupling rigging operable from any point on said steps or said platform adjacent said steps and adjacent and inwardly of said railing, comprising a horizontally disposed shaft having a depending operating handle accessible to said point, and interconnecting mechanism between said shaft and said coupling mechanism for uncoupling the latter in response to inward swinging of said operating handle, thereby requiring an operator to exert an uncoupling force longitudinally of the locomotive and inwardly from said guard railing.

3. Safety uncoupling rigging according to claim 2, wherein said interconnecting mechanism comprises crank means on said shaft and adjacent said coupling mechanismand link means having pivotal connection at one end with one of said crank means and slotted connection at the other end with the other of said crank means.

4. For use on a locomotive having an end platform with steps at each side thereof, coupling mechanism disposed below the level of said platform, extending forwardly of the locomotive and including a vertically movable coupling pin and uncoupling mechanism operable from a position forwardly of the locomotive to lift said pin, and an end railing for guarding said steps and platform mounted between the latter and said coupling mechanism; safety uncoupling rigging, comprising a crank lever pivotally mounted at the end of the locomotive and operable to lift said pin, link means having a slotted connection at the lower end with said crank lever, and an uncoupling shaft rotatably mounted on said railing and having a crank portion at its inner end pivotally connected to the upper end of said link means and an operating portion at its outer end operable from any point on said steps or said platform adjacent said steps and adjacent and rearwardly of said guard railing at which said operating portion is accessible by a rearwardly directed force to lift said coupling pin without effecting operation of said uncoupling mechanism.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 361,437 McKenney Apr. 19, 1887 522,940l Kight July 10, 1894 1,132,024 Murphy Mar. 16, 1915 1,145,470 De Remer July 6, 1915 1,583,987 Monfee May 11, 1926 2,413,801 Terry Ian. 7, 1947 OTHER REFERENCES Locomotive Cyclopedia of American Practice, Thirteenth edition, 1947. Published by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Co., 30 Church Street, New York, New York. (Copy on tile in Division 34 of the Patent Oce.) 

